Lamp socket



May 4, 1965 R. E. FlTZ GERALD 3,182,279

LAMP SOCKET Filed Aug. 20, 1963 ilII/II/I/II/II Iuveniozr. Rob 7'1 E. Fz'iz Gerald,

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United States Patent 3,182,279 LAMP SOCKET Robert E. Fitz Gerald, Quincy, Mass., assignor to United- Carr Incorporated, Cambridge, Mass., a. corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 303,385 1 Claim. (Cl. 339-59) This invention relates generally to electrical lamp sockets and more specifically to a socket for engagement with a support.

An object of the present invention is to provide an insulating housing for a lamp socket or the like having integral spring means and groove means for engaging an inner conductive shell.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a unitary conductive shell for a lamp socket and the like having integral means of engaging the insulated housing and having integral means of engaging a support.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the lamp socket assembly with the bulb engaged;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the socket shown in FIG. 1 without the bulb;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the socket shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a lamp socket assembly comprising a flexible insulating housing 10, a conductive shell or liner 12 and a capped wire lead 14.

The insulating housing 10 comprises an annular base portion 16 of substantially arcuate cross section having an integral, upstanding, circumferential wall 18 extending therefrom and an inner circumferential wall 20 also extending from said base portion 16 toward the same plane as said circumferential wall 18 and spaced from said circumferential wall 18. The inner surface of the circumferential wall 18 is thickened at a fixed distance from its juncture with the arcuate base portion 16. The inner wall 20 forms a continuation of the base portion 16 and forms a circumferential groove 22 with the wall 18. The thickening of the wall 18 is continued for approximately half its height and the wall 18 is then angled away from the axis of the housing 10 to provide an enlarged internal diameter as shown at FIG. 4, and an inner circumferential shoulder 24. Integral with and extending radially outward from the circumferential Wall 18 at the opposite end from its connection with the base portion 16 is a flange 26 which is arced or dished slightly in a direction away from the base portion 16. A tubular stem 28 is formed integral with a connector portion 30 which is integral with the inner wall 20 and which bridges a part of the open area created by the inner wall 20 as shown in FIG. 4. A portion of the upper surface of the connector portion 30 is formed to provide a circular cavity 31. The opening formed through the stem 28 is continued through the connector portion 30 into the cavity 31 and a portion of the stem 28 is spaced from and circumscribed by the inner wall 20.

The conductive shell 12 comprises a tubular body portion 32 open at both ends and having a vertical slot formed throughout its height for flexibility. Extending from one terminal end of the body portion 32 is a series of four arms 34 placed around the circumference of the body portion at 0, 90, 180, and 270 degree positions. These integral arms 34 are bent to provide a great degree of flexibility and are hooked at their terminal ends 50 to provide one engagement means for engagement with an apertured support in co-operation with a knuckle 36 3,182,279 Patented May 4, 1965 formed on the arms 34 as shown in FIG. 4. Two J-slots 38 are formed in the body portion 32 in opposed relation to each other and having an opening at the same edge as that to which the arms 34 are connected. A series of tangs 40 are formed in the body portion 32 extending radially away from the body portion 32 in acute angular relation thereto and having terminal ends directed generally toward the arms 34. The tangs 40 are formed a fixed distance from the end of the body portion 32 opposite from that from which the arms 34 extend, as shown in FIG. 4. The distance the tangs 40 are formed from the end of the body portion 32 will depend to some extent on the dimensions of the groove 22. The wire lead 14 comprises an insulated wire to which a flanged cap 42 is engaged. The engagement of the cap 42 is made on the bared wire of the lead 14.

The conductive shell 12 is engaged to the insulating housing 10, by passing the body portion 32 into the recess formed by the housing 10 until the terminal end of the body portion 32 engages the groove 22 and the terminal ends of the tangs 40 butt against the inner surface of the circumferential wall 18 slightly below the point at which it is thickened or angled. The volume formed by the inner wall of the housing 10 may have a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the body portion 32. It is possible that the inner diameter of the housing 10 may be slightly less than the external diameter of the body portion 32 if the circumferential wall 18 is of suflicient flexibility to allow the tangs 40 to pass through the narrow channel formed by the inner surface of the wall 18 Where it is thickened and thus angled toward the axis of the housing 10. Prior to this last-mentioned operation, the wire lead 14 with its engaged flanged cap 42 have been passed into the cavity 31 of the connector portion 30 and the remaining portion of the wire lead 14 has been passed through the tube formed by the stem 28. In this position the flanged cap 42 is in superposed abutting relationship to the connector portion 30 partially within the cavity 31 and is in spaced relationship with the body portion 32 of the conductor shell 12. The hooked terminal ends 50 of the arms 34 will be in spaced relationship with the arced surface of the flange 26 of the housing 10.

The lamp socket assembly can now be engaged to an apertured support 44 whose aperture 46 has a diameter slightly less than the diameter of a circle defined by the knuckles 36 and of a circle defined by the hooked terminal ends 50 of the arms 34. The diameter defined by the hooked terminal ends 50 may be greater than that of the one defined by the knuckles 36. The lamp socket assembly is pressed into the aperture 46 until the knuckles 36 engage on one side of the support and the hooked terminal ends 50 of the arms 34 engaged on the opposite side of the support 44. At the same time that the aforementioned is taking place, the flange 26 of the housing 10 is pressed against and flexes away from the lower surface of the support 44. The total assembly is now ready to receive a bulb 48 of the type having a pair of studs formed for engagement with the J-slots 38 in the usual manner well known in the art.

While there has been illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the invention is best described by the following claim.

I claim:

An electrical bulb socket comprising a flexible insulating housing, a conductive shell having means of engaging a bulb or the like and at least one wire lead, said insulating housing having a base portion, an inner circumferential wall extending from said base portion and an outer circumferential wall extending from said inner circumferential wall and spaced from said inner circumferential Wall, said outer circumferential Wall having an inner surface a portion of which is angled toward the axis of said socket to form an annular groove with said inner wall and a stem portion integral with said insulating housing and circumscribed, for a portion of its length, in spaced relation, by said inner wall and said conductive shell open at both ends and having a series of tangs formed from and around the circumference of said conductive shell proximate one open end and a series of arms extending from the other end for engagement with an apertured support, said tangs having engagement edges directed toward said arms and engaging the inner surface of said outer circumferential wall.

2,151,882 3/39 Woodhead 33960 2,606,227 8/52 Clayton 339--128 2,664,548 12/53 Hall 339-428 X 2,922,136 1/60 Corcoran 339--128 FOREIGN PATENTS 553,570 5/43 Great Britain.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner. 

